Automobile-buffer



G. A. LYON.

REINFORCED AUTOMOBILE BUFFER APPLICATION HLED JAN. 25, 1918.

- Pmmed 10%1919.

8 Maw/W0 2 v L,

lll llllll l i GEORGE ALBERT LYON, 0F PHILADELPHIA, IENN$"SILVATNI.EL

REINFORCED AUTOMOBILE-BUFFER.

specification of Letters cial atented has. as, from.

Application filed January 25, 1918. Serial No. 213,718.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that l, Gnonen AiLBER'l Lyon, acitizen of the United States, and resident of Philadelphia, county ofPhiladelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have made a certain new and usefulInvention Relating to ldeinforced AutomobileBufl'ers, of which thefollowing is a specification, taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, which form a part of the same.

This invention relates to resilient automobile buffers of the generaltype covered by the Lyon Patent No. 1,198,2-l0, of September 12, 1916.The buffer may comprise two resilient strips of spring steel havingattaching members to be secured to the automobile frame or other partsof a vehicle and also having transversely extend ing impact receivingmembers and intermediate resilient curved portions such as open endloops. The impact receiving members are arranged to overlap adjacent thecenter of the buffer and hue of them preferably has its end offsetaroundthe end of the other impact 1 -ceiving member, so that, for instance, the front surface of'the impact receiving members is thusbrought into line and can have a closer and stronger connection with oneor more resilient strip front reinforcing members which are preferablybolted thereto so as to form a multiple strength front portion of thebuffer. The reinforcing member may be conveniently secured in place byforming therein bolt holes which may be more or less elongated,

if desired, and through which may pass connecting bolts p1 .-eferablyhaving square or polygonal shanks to cooperate with Slll'lllarly shapedholes in the reinforcing member. The cooperating overlapped portions ofthe impact receiving members are preferably formed with holes and whenthe buffer is to be laterally adjustable a series of such more or lesselongated holes or slots may be formed in one or both of the impact receiving portions, so that the connecting bolts may extend through theproper holes and thus securely and adjustably connect the bufferelements together.

In the illustrative embodiment of the invention shown ii" the drawingFigure 1 is a top view of the device. Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional-View of the front portion of the buffer.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section thereof taken through one of theconnecting bolts; and

Fig. i is a perspective View showing the reinforcing member in somewhatgreater detail.

- The buffer may be composed of a number of strips of resilientmaterial, such as term pered spring steel, and these strips at leastwhere they are subject to vertical bend ing forces, are preferably ofconsiderably greater vertical width than thickness so as to make them.vertically rigid While resiliently yielding to a much greater extent inhorizontal directions. Two such'strips are shown as having generallysimilar contour and comprising attaching members, and one strip maycomprise the attaching member 8 and the transversely extending impactreceiving member G which are connected by the interposed resilient openend loop 7 which is adapted toextend out more or less into protectiveposition adjacent the auto mobile wheel. The other strip which may be ofgenerally similar contour may comprise the attaching member 4 and theresilient end loop 3 and impact receiving member 1, the end 5 of thisimpact receiving member being preferably offset at about the point 2 soas to extend around the end of the other impact receiving member andthus bring one side of the two impact receiving members into line. Asimilar spring steel or other resilient strip reinforcing member 9 ispreferably arranged in front of the over lapping impact receivingmembers and may be conveniently secured in this reinforcing position bysuitable connecting bolts or similar devices.

The connecting'bolts or devices 10 may as shown in Fig. 2 have thesquare or polygonal shanks 13 adapted to cooperatewith similarly shapedholes 14. in thereinforcing member 9. The ends of these bolts may, ofcourse, be threaded. and where lateral adjustment of the buffer isdesired several. series of adjusting holes 15, 16 may be formed in theoverlapping portions of the impact receiving members so that theconnecting bolts may extend through any suitable holes and thusadjustably connect the buffer elements together; so that the lateral Nildistances .apart. In making this adjust ment it is usually desirable tobring the end of the impact receiving member 6 to the left, forinstance, while the end 5 of the other impactreceiving member issimultaneously moved to the right a corresponding number of holes if itis desired to keep the reinforcing member and connecting bolts 1n thecenter of the buffer front. By giving the heads of the connecting bolts10.

'ness of the buffer correspondingly increased.

This invention has been described in con nection with a number ofillustrative forms, proportions, parts, arrangements, materials, methodsof connection and use,. to the,dctails of which discloure the inventionis not of course tobe limited, since what is claimed as new and what isdesired to be secured by Letters Patent is set forth in the appendedclaims I claim' 1. The automobile buffer comprising two integral springsteel strips having considerably greater vertical width than thicknessto render them relatively rigid vertically while resiliently yielding inhorizontal directions, each of said strips having a rearwardly extendingattaching member to be attached to the automobile frame member andhaving an intermediate resilient loop formediwith an open inner' end andextending into protective position adjacent the automobile wheel andhaving a transversely extending impact receiving member, the impactreceiving members of said strips overlapping adjacent the central partof the buffer and one of said impact receiving members having an offsetand to bring ,its intermediate portion substantially into line with theend of the other impact receiving member, and a spring steel frontremfore.

ing strip arranged in front of said impact receiving members andoverlapping the same substantially throughout the distance between theside f 'ames of the automobile, said reinforcing strip being formed withtwo holes, connecting bolts having shanks passing through said holes andseries of adusting holes, n both of said impact rcceiving membersthrough which said connecting bolts pass to adjust the width of locksaid bufl er to fit automobiles having frame members at differentdistances apart and to hold said impact receiving members and saidreinforcing strip in close reinforcing cooperation and mimmize relativevertical movement thereof.

2. The automobile buffer con'iprising two integral spring steel stripshaving considerably greater vertical width than thickness to render themrelatively rigid vertically while resiliently yieldingin horizontaldirections, each of said strips having a rearwardly extending attachingmember to be attached to the automobile frame member and having atransversely extending impact receiving meniber, the impact receivingmembers of said strips overlapping adjacent the central part of thebuffer and one of said impact receiving members having an offset end tobring its intermediate portion substantially into line with the end ofthe other impact receiving member, and a spring steel front reinforcingstrip arranged in-cooperation with said impact receiving members andoverlapping the same throughout a substantial distance, said reinforcingstrip being formed with holes, connecting bolts having shanks passingthrough said holes and adjusting holes in both of said impact:receiving. members through which said connecting bolts pass to adjustthe width of said buffer to fit automobiles having frame members atdifferent distances apart and to hold said impact receiving members andsaid reinforcing strip in close reinforcing cooperation and minimizerelative vertical movement thereof.

3. The automobile buffer comprising a pair of fiat spring steel stripseach having a vertically rigid front impact receiving incinber, arearwardly extending attaching menr ber and an intermediate Zmtwardlyextending loop member adapted to extend into pro- 'tBCiJlVG position adacent the automobile by said bolts to make said bu [fer of adjustablewidth and to hold the ovcrlapping members in vertically llgld' andmutually reinforcing cooperation at the front of the buffer. I

4. The automobile buffer comprising a pair of flat spring strips eachhaving a Yen tically rigid front impact receiving mcmber,

4 a rearwardly extending attaching member,

one of said impact receiving members havmetres till ing its end ofisetto extend around the end or the other impact receiving member andoverlap the same adjacent the center of the buffer, a spring steel stripfront reinforcing member adapted to extend acrossthe front of the butterand formed with holes, and connecting bolts to pass through said holesin said reinforcing member, said impact receiring members being formedwith. holes to be adjustably engaged by said bolts to make said bufi'erof adjustable Width and to hold the overlapping members in mutuallyreinforcing cooperation at the front of the buffer.

0. The automobile buffer comprising two flat resilient strips eachhaving a :tront 1mpact receiving member, a rearvvardly extendingattaching member and an intermediate resilient loop member adapted toextend into protective position adjacent the automobile heel, one ofsaid impact receiving members overlapping the other and having its endoil set to extend around the end of the other impact receiving men'iber,a resilient strip front reinforcing member adapted to extend across thefront oi the butter throughout a substantial part of the distance andformed with holes, and connecting bolts having shanks to pass throughsaidholes in said reinforcing member, said impact receiving membersbeing formed with series of holes to beadjustably engaged by said boltsto make saidbotier of adjustable Width and to hold the overlappingmembers in vertically rigid and mutually reinforcing cooperation at thefront of the butter.

6. The automobile bufl'er comprising two flat resilient strips eachhaving a front impact receiving member, a rearwardly extendingattacliingiinember and an intermediate resilient member, one of saidimpact receiving members overlz ipping the other and having its endoffset to extend around the end of the other impact receiving membet, aresilient strip reinforcing member adapted to extendacross the butterthroughp out a substantial part of the distance between the framemembers of the automobile tilt in contact with said impact receivingmembers and formed with holes, and connecting" bolts having shanks topass through said holes in said remforcmg'membe'r, said-1m- I pactreceiving members being formed with holes to beengaged by said bolts tohold the overlapping members in mutually reinforc ing cooperation at thefront of the bull er.

7. The automobile butter comprising two flat resilient strips eachhaving a front impact receiving member, a rearwardly extending attachlngmember and an intermediate resilient member, one of said impactreceiving members overlapping the other, a resilient strip reinforcingmember adapted to extend across the buffer throughout a substantial partof the distance between the frame members of the automobilein contactwith said impact receiving members and formed with holes and'connectingbolts havmember adapted to extend acrossthe front of the buffer to formtriple thickness front portions in connection with said impact receivingmembers, said reinforcing member being formed with holes, and connectingbolts having shanksto pass through said holes in said reinforcingmember, said impact receiving men'ihers being formed with holes to beengaged by said bolts to hold the overlapping members in mutuallyreinforcing cooperation of the front of the buffer.

, GEORGE ALBERT LYON.

Witnesses HARRY L. DUNCAN, Jessie B. KAY.

